Constant pressure multistage packing



H. T. WHEELER I ACKING Filed May 25,' 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Aug. 20, 1935. H. T. WHEELER 7 2,012,150

CONSTANT PRESSURE MULTISTAGE' PACKING Filed May 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

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Pate ie'dau 2c, 1935 f was PACKING n Harley r; wheaaf aas, Tex. Y V I I Application May 25; 1931, Serial-No. 539,803 a i-oia'imsif (oi. ass-4.6)

Thisinvention relates to the holding of con stant high pressure by a multistage packing in a stufiing-box, and its chief advantage lies in a capability of regulating the seepage fiow due to 7 pressure so that saturationof the packing bythef pressure will be at the lowest possible value.

Another advantageis that thehighe'st'as well as'the lowest pressure rangesmaybe held with;

a uniform efficiency.

Still another advantage is that packing :rings' of different density may be used in this invention to regulate the flow of pressure thruthe packing, thereby controlling to a great extent the w amount of the friction of contact.

Still another and important advantage is that the packing is arranged-"to regulate the drop of pressure within the packing structure, at the same time regulating the. seepage flow due to' pressure, so that the vfrictionof contact will he created uniformly over the area of contact.

With these objects and advantages in View,"

other desirable advantages of construction will be disclosed during the description, accompanied by the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a cross-section of the multistage packing built according to this invention.

7 Figure 2 is an end view of the multistage packing with a partial cross-section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an upper half View of a compartment along the 'line'3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an upper half View of acompartment along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

. Figure 5 is adiagrammatic cross-section of a cone-shaped packing ring, with the greatest density at the innerportions Figure 6 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a cone-shaped packing ring of uniform density. Figure? is a diagrammatic cross-section ofa cone-shaped packing ring with the greatest denfriction curves of the packing, using the outside density rings of Figure '7.

Referring now especially to Figure 1, thebody a i is an extension of. the machine frame thru which the shaft 2 extendsandpressureexistsfin the clearance between the shaft 2 andthe body l. A series of cups, forming compartments between their-confi'nes, theface of each being. pr es--' sure tight one with the othenare held by the 7 bolts 8 concentric with the shaft' 2 and pressure .of'the packing'rings I2;

tight against the body I by' rneans of the gasket, 9. Within the confines of each compartment as formed are placed packing rings, as will now be described in detail.

The spacing ring 3 is adjacent to the gasket 9 and forms the inner'seat of the cone-shaped packing rings 3. The cup 4 has ,a cone-shaped end-wall against which the packing rings ll] may rest while under pressure. The cup 5 has a cone shaped end wall against which the packing rings i l 'niay rest while under pressure. The cup 6 has a cone-shaped end-wall against which the packing rings E12, may rest while under'pressure. The

packing gland E has an inner cone-shaped seat against which the packing rings it may restwhile under pressure. The spacing ring 3, the cups i, 5, 6 and the packinggla'nd'l each have a clear 1 ancegaroundj the I shaft tofprevent contact. 7 In the end-wall of the cup 4 is shown a series vof outlets M for seepage to flowirom the packing rings in the compartment between the cup 4 and thejspacing ring 3 and into the next adjacent compartments The seepage which would collect in thepacking confined between the end-walls of thecups 5 and 5 is released thru the passages i 5; and into the packing rings I2, and in turn is. successively'vented thru the passages 16, and finally flows tothe atmosphere thru the pas-' sages i i made in the face of the gland "if It should. beapparent 'that the cone-shapedendwalls of the spacing ring Bfthecups, 5, andii and the packing gland l iorm compartments of a definite size, in which'the'packing rings are, confined, and that there. is no adjustment after the assemblyis placed} against the body 1 of the machine.

Referring now to Figure 2, an end' view of the cross-sectional assembly of Figure 1; The packing gland 7 is held to the machine frame by. the bolts 8, Hand the seepage passages ll, l!

are. vents from the outerpacking compartment.

An end view of the outer cup 6 is'shown in,-par. tial cross-section and along the line '2-,2 of Figure 1. :The seepa e holes l6, l6 vent the. pressure-from the adjacent. inner packing com-f 'ipar'tment. Around the shaft Zis shown the fit v In Figure 3 is indicateda' half end view of' the cup 5; along the lines 33-. of Figure 1. It may be noted that the seepage passages iii are of closer'spacing than those of Figure 2, and that an inner rowof passages tea has been: added; the; reason for so doing will (be explained later. The "packing rings llf areshown to b'e fit-ting" the: s ft a In Figure 4 is indicated a half end view of the cup 4, along the line 4-4 of Figure 1. The seepage passages I4 are placed closer to each other than is shown in either of the Figures 2 and 3, and other passages I 4a are added. The packing rings Iii are shown to be fitting the shaft 2.

As will afterward be explained, controlling the reaction of the packing to. the impressed pressure, necessitates a type of packing ring suitable to the condition. In Figure 5 is a packing ring made so that the density of its structure increases toward the center of the cone-shape and is a maximum at the contacting surface of the shaft, and corresponds to those rings made by the process described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 509,622, dated January 19, 1931, now Patent No. 1,978,240, issued October 23, 1934. Figure 6 is a coneshaped packing ring of uniform density. In Figure 7 is another type of packing ring in which the density increases toward the periphery and is a maximum at the contact with the stuffingbox wall, and corresponds to those rings made according to my application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 515,232, dated February 12th, 1931.

Referring now to my application for. Letters Patent, Serial Number 537,658, dated May 15, 1931, The elasticity of porous elastic structures, in which twenty-four laws of friction are described and related to the density and porosity of packing rings is set out. A fibrous packing, such as is intended for use in this invention is a porous structure, becoming elastic when exposed to pressure. A structure which is porous is defined as an assembly of packing rings having pores, interstices and joints thru which pressure maypassn The chief advantage of a porous structure lies in its capability of gradually reducing an impressed pressure to a" lower level, thereby distributing the drop of pressure along the area of contact between the packing and the shaft, thus in turn distributing the friction necessary to seal the pressure. It is proven by the first and second laws before mentioned, that the thrust of the packing structure against the shaft is equal to the drop of pressure at any point, and that the amount of friction on any increment of contact surface is that proportion of the total friction which is related to the proportion of pressure drop within that increment. Thus for a single set of packing having 'no dividing walls, the greatest portion of the friction occurs in asmall length of the contact, farthest from the source of pressure.

The coefficient of friction is taken to be the relation of the normal appliedpressure. to the force necessary to move the shaft. Considering a single set of packing with most of the measured friction occurring on a small area, the coefli-cient for the unit of area will be very high, causing heat and rapid wear within a limited region. The purpose of this invention is not especially to reduce the total measured friction necessary to seal off the pressure, but to, distribute the latter quantity so that all of the area in contact does an equal share in creating the friction, which means a uniform distribution of wear and an equal radiation of temperature by a controlled seepage flow. I

Referring now to Figure 8, an internal pressure chart, the ordinates being to a scale and being the constant pressure P impressed on the packing set of Figure 1, and the abcissa to a scale being the actual length of the packing surface in contact with the shaft 2 of Figure '1.

surface.

tact, when the normal applied pressure is equal 'atail points of the contact.

First, the packing as shown in Figure 1 is considered to be a single set, that is, the division walls are assumed to be removed fromFigure 1, the packing rings being adjacent to each other. The packing is therefore subject toa continual seepage flow under the constant impressed pressure, according to the line S of Figure 8, the line S being the actual pressure at any point along the contact It may be observed that the greatest rate of pressure drop is close to the packing gland, at; which location-most of the friction occurs. To demonstrate the distribution of the friction per increment of length according to the pressure line S, the amounts of friction are plotted on the abcissa ,of the internal-pressure chart, the total friction being assumed to be F, a concrete quantity. The rate of pressure drop is taken for increments of length from the curve S and the'prop ortional value of the total friction F solved for, resulting in thefriction curve 8, starting at the point '4 as the internal pressure is not reduced up to this point, and ending at point is. The area of contact between the points 6 and 'l is therefore subjected to most of the strain, resulting in high temperature locally and rapid wear, and giving a high coefficient of friction due to the low porosity of the structure, it being compressed by the accumulated thrust. This is the condition of all single sets of fibrous packing.

The condition inherent with the drop of pressure is that there must be seepage flowing thru the packing structure, however minute the necessary amountmay be, for when the internal pressure becomes equalized in a packing structure, the effect is the same as replacing the packing gland l of Figure 1' with a tight gasket, eliminating the ability of the packing toreact against the pressure. An examination of the first and second laws of friction indicates that when some mechanical means is provided to induce a drop of pressure at various intervals along the area of contact that the friction will be distributed over a greater area than is possible with a single set of packing. Referring again to Figural, the end-walls of the cups 4, 5 and 6 and the seat in the packing gland 7 provide the partitions necessary to realize a pressure drop at four points, instead of the one point of a single set which is the packing gland face. (As yet no consideration is being given to the seepage passages made thru the aforesaid endwalls.)

The use of partitioning walls between packing sections may be termed true multistaging, each compartment being separate and the only communicating passageway being the clearance between the end-walls of the compartments and the shaft. Reference is again made to Figure 8, the efiect of multistaging being shown by the internal pressure line M, only the friction arising from the drop of pressure being considered. Applying the first and secondlawsof friction only, the friction is nowfound to be distributed between three compartments, appearing' in compartment 45, also in 56 and in'6l, the value fm being about one-half the value ,fs of a single set. Up to this point, theoretically it is apparcut that the maximum friction per. unit of area has been reduced by true multistaging and that temperature and wear should be reduced as compared to a single set of packing. J

- Contrasting the foregoing theoryis the practical fact that a true multistage does not operate according to the first. and second laws of friction. It has been; found that for 'a considerable itime after a true, multistage packing is put into operation that it :produces a great amount of heat accompanied by'a severe wearing of the shaft, the

effect starting at the inner compartment; passing to the next, and so on thruout the length ofcontact, faiiing in service when the last compartment of packing cannot hold the pressure." In Figure. 8, thetheoretical lines of friction as derived, m, m, m and m do notobtain, but thatfriction lines.

x1, $2, an and x4 are the actual relations of contact, as will now be explained.

As soon as pressure is impressed on the packing set ofFigure'l, the packing in the compartment between pieces 3, and 4 is saturated, .the volume of occupancy immediately increases, and as the packing rings are in a confined space they are compressed, the porosity is decreased, the seep- .age flow reduced and the friction; of contact increases so that practically. all of the, pressure is; The conse quence is that theshaft is worn quickly and they packing rings in the compartment are worn off at.

held by the inside compartment.

their edges ofcontact, the first compartment .of

v packing starts to leak, whereupon the second compartment becomes saturated and the packing. expands, giving the friction line'xz. In like manner, each succeeding compartment becomes saturated as shown bythe lines-r3 and .724. After theouter and last compartment is worn and begins to leak, the life of the packing and shaft. is exhausted as the pressure cannot be he1d.:1

Referring again to Figure l, the interposition of the compartment end-walls interferes with the seepagefiow that existed in the packing as a single set, thedirection and location of the'fiow being constricted to the clearances betwen the end-walls and the shaft.

7 The amount of the flow is also diminished because the porosity of the packingrings as constructed according to Figure 5 is less at the point of contact with the shaft'and is further restricted by the lowering of the porosity due to the reaction of the packing against the pressure. It should be apparent that dividing the packing into compartments, thus decreasing the number of paths of the seepageflow as well as the amount of flow, subjects the packing successively in each compartment ;to the maximum effect of saturati on by pressure, bringing about an increase'of volume, forcing the ringsagainst the shaft to'cause excessive heat and wear until the volume of-ithe packing is reduced to correspond .to the saturation condition obtaining. In the meantime the shaft is worn, the packing damaged andthe multistage will continue to operatefor a time as long as the temperature and pressure re-,

main constant, but will leak badly when idle or while being put into service with varying condi- V eons to contend with. This series of conditions is'expressed' by. the sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth laws of friction, which state that the volume of occupancy varies according to the rate and amount of the seepage flow, the friction created being in relation to the density and porosity of the structure as it is affected by the changes of volume.

It should be apparent that to design a porous packing structure to conform but to part of the;

lawsand relations obtaining, is to make an inipractical and troublesomedevice; sealing pres- SUIGlbY an'excess of friction thru the medium of I saturationis undesirable. i i

.As: the flow of seepage thru a porous elastic structure isthe fundamental reason why the packing reactsagainst and willseal off the impressed pressure, itshouldbe apparent that whatever changes in design are made'to distribute the fric the desired featureof the distribution of friction is secured, asshown by the internal pressure line MF of Figure 8, the effect of saturation being reflected by'the difference between the lines U and MF, it not being practically possible to eliminate all saturationowing to the inequalities of the porosity of anypacking structure.

The friction linesmflmf, m1 and'mf appearin each compart merit having a maximum value of fun, very closely I approximating the line of' ideal friction'u, of a constant e value, in; To obtain the maximum; I

seepage flow in the compartmentadjacent to the impressed pressure, the seepage passages are increased in number and in-total area as shown by Figurey i, being decreased in number and total area as the packingis farther from the source of pressuraas respectively shown by Figures 3 and 2-.

'In'designing multistages to meet the various conditions of temperature, the harshness-of contact due to packing material in the presence of certain liquidsand'gase's, high speeds and the like, the importance of the amount and of the location of the seepage flow as a means to remove the materials which have been heated, becomes of further importance. While it has been shown that'the multistage as constructed according to i this invention will obtain a uniform distribution of friction, itshould also be apparent that the packing rings could be constructed of such density and porosity as to prevent the mechanical relationsofthe multistage from operating. That is, the construction of the packing is equally im= portant in producing a uniformdrop of pressure,

as are the provisions in the multistage.end'-walls for transferring the seepage after it has "flowed thru the packing structure. -The' multistage as herein'constructedis of little benefit unless the packing structure is made in harmony.

In Figure 9 is shown the relations of pressure and friction due to a packing structure having its greatest density at the stuffing-box wall contact and as described in Figure 7. The ordinates to a scale are theim'pressed pressure 'R, assumed to be .considerab'ly'higher than the pressure-P of Figure 8. The abcissato 'a'scale are, the actual lengths of thepacking contact, the points 3, .4,

5, 6 and 1 representing the ccnfinesof the come partments formed by-the corresponding cupsand retainers 3,4,; 5,6 and 1 of Figure l. 1 The pack ing. is first considered to'bea single setQthere' being no end-.walls'as shown in Figure Leach packing ring being in contact with another ring. Returningto Figure9, the internalpressure line S shows; a drop of'pressure starting at point 3; due to the increased porosity, and the friction; line sderived from the internal pressure relations by e the first and,; second -;laws of friction,.

starts at the point 3, continuing to a maximum value fs. The slopeof the line sf in the area 6-! is less than that of the line 8 of Figure 8, due to the higher rate of seepage flow, indicating that seepage can control the friction to some extent according to the sixthlaw which is, that for a'constant pressure, friction is inversely proportional to the degreev of porosity.

Returning now to Figure 1, the end-walls of the cups and retainers are assumed to be used, thepacking being divided into four compartments but without any seepage passages. The internal pressure line M shows an immediate drop in the compartment 34 as the increased degree of porosity at the surface of contact per-. mits a considerable flow of seepage. This is refiected in the friction lines 112, m, m and m appearing in each, compartment with a maximum value of f'm, much less than the value f's of the single set, and if reduced to the same scale, less than the value fm of Figure 8.

The effect of saturation on the type of packing structure shown in Figure 7 is less than that of Figure 5, as the clearance between the shaft and the end-walls of the compartments is adjacent to that portion of the packing structure having it greatest degree of porosity. Hence this. multistage, when so. equipped and when first placed in service will not heat so vigorously nor will there be as much wear on the shaft and the packing, as in the case cited under Figure 8. The friction lines yi, 'yz, yaand 2/4 appearing successivelyin each compartment indicate less friction and an improvement over the corresponding case of Figure 8, due to increased seepage flow.

Referring again to Figure 1-, the series of seepage passages M, 15, IE, andi'l are considered to be added to the construction, thus establishing. multiplepathsfor any seepage confined in the compartments, the result being the internal pressure line MF, and the corresponding friction lines mf, mf, mf and mf closely approximating the uniform friction line u of a constant value fu.

The multistage constructed according to this invention is solely for constant pressure, or pres sure changing at such a rate that there will be at no point of the contact, an excess or an insufiicient seepage flow. This multistage however, when designed for different ranges of pressures constant in value must be equipped with packing rings of suitable densities. For the lowest pressure range, the ring structure in Figure gives the lowest friction and best operation. For the next higher pressure range, as well as conditions of increased speed, temperature and higher coefiicients of friction due to harsh contacts of liquids and gases, the ring of uniform density as shown in Figure Bis desirable to increase the flow of seepage. For extreme cases, the structure of Figure '7 still further increases the seepage flow and counteracts the increasing friction of contact and maintains a higher degree of porosity under reaction. These three general types of ring structure will meet all of the conditions of commercial application.

The application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 396,479, dated October 1st, 1929, my original fibrous packing multistage, is operative because the fit betweenthe internal expanding'ring and the stufiing-box wallpermits the'escape of surficient seepage and the change of volume due to saturation is compensated for by a spring actuated collar. The application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 532,222, dated April 23rd, 1931,

nowPatent No. 1,996,779, issuedApril 9, 1935..

is also operative because seepage may flow past the fit of the expanding ring and the stuffingbox wall, and the correction for volume is made from an external point. In the two foregoing types, some manual effort and judgement is necessary to correct the change of volume. In the type herein shown, theseepage flow as controlled by both the design of the multistage and by choice of the packing or correct porosity, automatically produces the reaction to pressure at an evenrate over the'entire area of contact, and is therefore an improvement on the previous inventions.

Thruout this specification, a cone-shaped packing ring has been used as the example of a porous elastic structure. However, any fibrous packing ring which reacts against pressure will operate in like manner to the cone-shape, tho

at a difierent efiiciency.

The object of multistaging a packing is to distribute friction over the entire area of contact.

It should be apparent that'this is automatically accomplished in this design. It should be further apparent that many variations of seepage flow can be utilized to control the friction between a shaft and a porous structure, made elastic by the impression of pressure, but such variations as are within the scope of 'the appended positioned in said annular spaces and in contact with said rod, whereby a drop of pressure occurs in each compartment causing a thrust of the packing structure against eachof said partitions, a pluralityof small passages in the walls of said partitions to permit the-flow of seepage from the packing in one annularspace'to that of an adjacent space to equalize the internal drop of pressures in said compartments, thereby equalizing the thrusts of said packing structures against said partitions.

I 2. A stufiing-box composed of a series of com partments positioned around a rod subjected to pressure, each of said compartments having a conically shapeddepression at one end and a conically shaped projection at the other end forming an annular wall between each of said compartments, conically shaped packing rings being positioned in said compartments and in contact with said rod, and means including an opening through said annular wall to provide a flow-of seepage thru the Wall of each of said compartments away from said rod to equalize the thrusts of the packing structures against said partitions. I V

3. A stufiing box composed of a series of annular compartments positioned around a rod subjected topressure, conically shaped partitions at the ends of said compartments, the smaller ends thereof being presented toward the fluid pressure, rod packing shaped to fit said compartmentsand conf1ned therein, there being openings through said partition adjacent the outer Wall away from said rod to provide a seepage of pressure across each compartment from the adjacent preceding one toward the source of pressure whereby said packing may seal against the impressed pressure.

4. A stufiing box composed of a series of compartments positionedaround a rod subjected to pressure, partitions between each of said compartments forming a comically shaped depression at one end and a comically shaped projectionat the other end, conicallyshaped packing rings positioned in said compartments and in contact with said rod, said partitions being constructed with openings therein away from said .rod and decreasing in numberaway from the source of said pressure, to regulatethe flow of seepage through each of said packing rings and said partitions thereby controlling the amount of-friction confinedin. each of said compartments.

HARLEY T. WHEELER. 

